This invention relates generally to a device for holding pet food, and more particularly to a device that is capable of securely holding packages of pre-packaged pet food and treats.
It has become increasingly common to provide food and treats for dogs and cats in sealed pre-packaged cup-like containers similar to those used for puddings and fruit for humans. Along with conventional wet or dry foods, it has also become popular to provide pets with frozen treats packaged in such containers. It would seem to be convenient to allow the pets to partake of the food or treats directly from the pre-packaged container by holding the containers in the owner's hand or placing them on the floor. However, that is not the case, for holding the container in one's hand is cumbersome and time-consuming for both the owner and the pet, and placing it on the floor results in the pet pushing the container around on the floor and overturning it in the pet's zeal to consume its contents. This is frustrating to the pet and causes the food or treat to be spilled on the floor, necessitating a clean-up effort for the owner. Even if the pre-packaged container is placed in a larger bowl, the result inevitably is for the pet to push the container out of the bowl and overturn it onto the floor. The problem becomes greater with frozen treats, where the intent is to increase the time period over which the pet enjoys the treat. However, this results in the container being pushed around for a longer period of time over a larger area of the floor, causing more frustration for the pet and a larger clean-up problem for the owner.
It is an object of this invention to provide a pet food holder that alleviates these problems by securely holding pre-packaged cups of pet food or treats, particularly but not exclusively those that are frozen, and preventing them from being overturned or pushed about on the floor.
Another object of this invention is to provide a pet food holder that can be held in place by the pet as it feeds from the holder, thus preventing it from moving about on the floor.
Another object of this invention is to provide a means for securing the holder beneath a person's foot or the leg of a piece of furniture, or wedging it under a piece of furniture or the bottom edge of a door.
Another object of this invention is to provide a pet food holder that can accommodate and secure in place prepackaged pet food containers of varying sizes, shapes and material.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a pet food holder that secures in place pet food and treats that have been frozen in place in the holder.